Abbas: Security Cooperation with Israeli Army and Police is Sacred

Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Israeli journalists and businessmen that the Palestinian Authorities cooperation with the Israeli occupation forces and police is sacred, also for a unity-government of Fatah and Hamas. Fatah and the Palestinian Authority have, for years, used security cooperation to crack down on the Palestinian opposition.

Addressing some 300 Israeli businesspeople and journalists at the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) headquarters in Ramallah this week Abbas asserted:

“The security relationship … and I say it on air, security coordination is sacred, sacred. And we will continue it whether we disagree or agree over policy”.

Abbas made this remark within the context of the establishment of the interim-unity-government and coalition between Fatah and Hamas and journalists questions whether “security cooperation” would continue under a Fatah – Hamas unity government.

Progressive Palestinian opposition parties have for years demanded an end to the PA’s “security cooperation”, which is a euphemism for the cooperation of the Washington and EU-funded PA security forces and intelligence services’ cooperation with the Israeli military and Israel’s secret police Shin Bet.

Fatah and the Fatah dominated PA use this collaboration with the occupying power to crack down on any Palestinian opposition that challenges the status quo, Fatah’s dominance and Fatah’s largely Washington and EU- dictated policies.

One of the most blatant examples of Fatah’s and the PA’s “security cooperation” is the 2002 kidnapping and arrest of the Secretary General of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFL), Ahmed Sa’adat.

His wife, Abla Sa’adat told nsnbc that PA Security and Intelligence Services kidnapped him from a hotel in Ramallah, on orders of Yassir Arafat. Arafat and Sa’adat spoke on the phone during a firefight between the US/EU financed PA Security Forces and PFLP militants. Sa’adat agreed to lay down arms to prevent more bloodshed among Palestinians.

Israel wanted Sa’adat for his alleged involvement in the killing of the Israeli Tourism Minister Revaham Ze’evi. Sa’adat received a 30 year prison sentence. Initially he served in a Palestinian prison under US guard, but was subsequently, again under the terms of “security cooperation” transferred to an Israeli prison.

The protest came after it was noticed that members of the opposition and protesters were re-arrested by Shin Beth (Israeli Secret Police) shortly after their release by PA security.

nsnbc file

In 2012 the New York Times reported that PA President Abbas “pleaded” to an Israeli delegation to help the PA procure weapons which the PA needed to crack down on the internal opposition which he described as “terrorists”. The NYT quotes Abbas as saying:

“If they help me get weapons, I’m helping them because I’m promoting security”.

The situation with regard to the interim-unity-government complicates matters further because some factions within Fatah and some factions within Hamas reject security cooperation with Israel while others are proponents or ambiguous, at least with regard to public announcements.

In that respect it is worth noting that an influential faction within Hamas, led by Khaled Mashal, and strongly influenced by Qatar, has functioned as an US/Israeli/Turkish-backed proxy in the attempt to destabilize the Egyptian Sinai.

Strong factions within both Fatah and Hamas serve foreign interests. Some by their so-called security cooperation; others by so-called resistance. Both participate in the oppression of progressive Palestinian factions.

About the Author

Christof Lehmann - Dr. Christof Lehmann is the founder and editor of nsnbc. He is a psychologist and former independent political consultant on conflict, conflict resolution and a wide range of other political issues.
In March 2013 he established nsnbc as a daily, independent, international on-line newspaper. He can be contacted at nsnbc international at nsnbc.wordpress@gmail.com